Country : TUNISIA - MALI - SENEGAL - CAMEROUN - ARMenia

This summer I directed 10 films Portraits of foreigners having been helped by the OFII : French Office for Immigration and Integration (attached to the Ministry of the Interior) for the socio-professional return in their country of origin. Today each of these people received a support by the OFIIto bring to a successful conclusion their new life projects.

Created in 1945, OFII, French Office for Immigration and Integration is now the only French State’s operator in charge of immigration procedures (family, student and professional), the reception of asylum seekers, the integration of new arrivals and the voluntary return and reintegration of foreign nationals.

Produced by Burgundi Prod, we went to meet them in their country. We followed each person for 2 days and transcribed in each of the filmstheir new life and hope for the future.

Adama, farmer in mali

« I was really worried about going back to Malibut OFII kept all their promises »

Adama Diara is a young farmer who decided to leave his home region of Koulikoro and set off for Europe in 2007. One day he would like to extend his plan and start selling the produce he grows himself. “I was really worried about what’d happen once I got home, but OFII kept all its promises”, he says, with a smile on his face. More here : voluntaryreturn.fr/stories/adama-farmer

Hamda, weaver in Tunisia

« I had no papers, no money and I was losing all hope »

Hamda is now 60, and hopes and wants to get all kinds of plans going. When he thinks about France, he imagines all the exhibitions of towels and weaving work in which he will be involved and the market that will open up to him.